Laparoscopic Radiofrequency Ablation

laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation treats uterine fibroids which are benign growths that occur in the uterus. They range in size, quantity, and location. The procedure has been studied on fibroids up to 7CM. The procedure can be used to treat most types of symptomatic fibroids, including subserosal, intramural, transmural, and certain submucosal.

The procedure is recommended for pre-menopausal women (typically younger than 55 years old) who are tired of living with the ongoing pain and discomfort of fibroids and are looking for a minimally invasive option that allows them to keep their uterus and return to daily life quickly after the procedure.

• The procedure is an outpatient procedure, and patients generally go home the same day on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• The procedure works by heating the fibroid cells using radiofrequency ablation. The treated fibroid cell shrinks overtime, ultimately resolving fibroid symptoms.
• After the fibroid is treated, the consistency of the fibroid tissue changes. Imagine a hard baseball turning into a soft marshmallow.
• The change in the consistency is what creates the relief from the fibroid symptoms.
• The treated fibroid tissue is not harmful, and typically gets reabsorbed into the body.
• The surgical system handpiece is designed to treat only the fibroid tissue and does not require suturing to the uterine lining. As a result, the healthy uterine tissue around the fibroid is left intact.

• 94% of patients responded that the treatment had been somewhat, moderately, or very effective in eliminating their symptoms.
• Only 11% of patients required additional reintervention after the procedure.
• 98% reported that they would probably or definitely recommend the procedure to their friends with the same health problem.

Hysterectomy - The laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation procedure allows you to keep your uterus and has a quicker recovery time than a hysterectomy. However, hysterectomy is a definitive treatment, so after recovery, there is no chance fibroid symptoms will return.

Myomectomy - The laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation procedure does not require cutting or suturing within the uterus. A myomectomy cuts fibroids and surgically removes fibroid tissues from the uterus. Myomectomy typically requires four to six incisions on the skin, while the laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation procedure requires three incisions.

UAE - UAE involves ischemic necrosis which consists of the tissue slowly dying due to lack of blood supply. It typically involves an overnight stay for pain management. The laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation procedure uses coagulative necrosis which destroys the fibroid cells and nerve endings with heat and results in the reduction of the fibroid volume over time. With the laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation procedure, patients typically return home the same day.

The procedure is made up of six steps:

1. Prep - You are prepped and brought into the operating room for anesthesia.
2. Access - Your physician makes three small incisions - one in your belly button - one below your bikini line - and inserts a tiny camera and ultrasound into each incision.
3. Visualize - Your physician precisely locates each fibroid with an ultrasound probe and guidance mapping, allowing full view of your uterus.
4. Deploy - Next, your physician deploys the tip of a handpiece into the fibroid while preserving healthy uterine tissue.
5. Treat - The physician deploys controlled heat through the a handpiece to destroy the fibroid tissue. The physician repeats this process until every targeted fibroid is fully treated. Once the procedure is complete, your physician stitches the small incisions on the skin.
6. Recover - You will wake up in the recovery room. Most patients get cleared to go home within two hours. Women typically feel ready to return to work and daily activities after four to five days. In terms of symptom relief, it depends on how big the fibroid is and what symptoms you’re experiencing.

There are a minimum of three incisions, one in the belly button, one above the bikini line, and one small incision that does not typically leave a scar by the bikini line.